Faculty Handbook

Graduate Council

The Graduate Council, acting as the elected, delegate body of the graduate faculty, formulates Graduate School policies and is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations on all matters affecting the University's graduate programs. The purpose of the Graduate Council is to promote excellence in all graduate programs. The departments and/or schools and colleges are responsible for support and management of graduate programs, and the Graduate Council performs the functions of coordination and review. The responsibilities of the Graduate Council include the formulation of policy for graduate education to include such matters as student admission and retention, general guidelines and levels of compensation for graduate assistants, course load, transfer credit, research requirements, and minimal requirements for comprehensive exams, theses, and dissertations. The Council also has planning and review responsibilities to include the review of proposed new graduate programs and the periodic review of existing graduate programs. In addition, the Council determines requirements for graduate faculty membership; it helps promote career growth and development for graduate faculty; it proposes strategies for increasing financial support for graduate education; and it serves as a review body for graduate student appeals.

The Council discharges many of these responsibilities through the following standing committees: a) the Academic Standards Committee; b) the Academic Programs Committee; c) the Research Committee; d) the Executive Committee; and, e) the Membership Committee. The Texas Woman's University Policy on the Graduate Council provides a detailed description of the duties and activities of the Council.